For the Tribune

Cory Koterba's grandfather gave him this 1940 pickup that was used by his grandma and great-grandma during harvest in 1956. / Courtesy photo

Cory Koterba is a City Motor Company technician. He has been a Chevy guy his entire life. / For the Tribune/Jessica Gray

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Twenty-one years working on Chevys has turned Cory Koterba into a Chevy guy.

As part of his training at Montana State University-Northern, he completed an automotive apprenticeship at City Motor Company in Great Falls and was then hired on as a technician. He has been working there ever since.

His love for Chevys, especially pickups, began while he was in high school, though. His grandfather gave him his 1940 Chevy Pickup, which he had owned since 1945. Today the truck sits in his shop, and he hopes to someday restore to its original condition.

Today, Cory drives a 1995 Chevy Silverado three-quarter ton pickup back and forth to work. He traded the conventional fleetside box he bought it with for a flatbed, because he prefers the versatility he gets from the extra space. He also owns a 2001 Silverado Duramax three-quarter ton pickup. He likes the diesel for hauling heavy loads, like when he pulls his 5th wheel on family camping trips.

Cory is rarely seen without a Chevy baseball cap on his head. He owns more than he can even count. He has a dozen or so Chevy t-shirts to add to his attire.

His mechanical abilities stretch further than just automotive repair. Koterba built a custom rolling seat made out of Chevy aluminum alloy wheels for his workspace at City Motor Co.

Last June, his wife saw a picture of an outdoor bench made from an old tailgate. This inspired him, and within a week, he bought a tailgate off an early 1960s truck, cut a few logs and built his family their own Chevy bench for their front porch.

“It didn’t come with instructions, but like a lot of things, I just mocked it up and measured it out,” Koterba said.

From vehicles to apparel to furniture, Chevy encompasses Koterba’s life.

“For me, Chevrolet isn’t the best because they are faster or better than other manufacturers,” Koterba said. “For me, it’s a way of life. It is how I’ve made my living. I have worked on them long enough now that I understand them so well.”